Enmeshment

A scream rung out and I suddenly woke up from my sleep. The entire dorm sprung into action. "Someone turn on the lights!" Shouted Christina. The lights flicked on and I saw Edward lied on the floor next to his bed, he was clutching his face. A halo of blood surrounded his head, and a knife jutted out of his face. "Oh my God!" Christina shouted from behind me.

Myra, Edward's girlfriend walked up to him and she screamed out loud. Another initiates also screamed in shock and some other in the back of the dorm yelled for help. I could also hear someone was puked.

"Take it out! It hurts! Take it out!" Edward screamed in pain.

I was about to move forward to help Edward but Will pulled me. "No, no leave it!"

"Are you kidding me!? We have to take that out!" yelled Christina.

"We need to get the medic!" replied Will.

"I will carry him to the infirmary," offered Al as he squatted.

"No! Don't move him!" told Will.

"Will, we need to move him," screamed Christina.

"He needs help, Will!" I shouted. "He could bleed out!"

"Go get the medic now!" asked Will and I saw Jen ran out the dorm immediately.

"Take it out!" Edward screamed again and it made Myra cried harder.

Tris knelt next to Edward. "No. You have to let the doctor take it out. Hear me? Let the doctor take it out. Now breathe. It will be all right."

"It hurts!" He kept screaming.

"It will be all right, now breathe…" Tris tried to calm him down. She was the only one who took action while the others were too shock to do anything other than panicking, including myself.

A few minutes later Jen back to the dorm with Louisa and some other Dauntless nurses. They looked so startled when they saw Edward. "Is he gonna be ok?" I asked Louisa while the other nurses carefully took Edward out from the room and probably immediately went to the infirmary. Tris got up with hands and her knees were now soaked in blood. Peter showed up behind some other initiates, his eyes were menacing and a sudden smirked showed up at the corner of his lips made me make a lot of assumptions.



I was walking on the Pit when I saw Tris was talking to Four. Judging by the look on Four's face, Tris must be talking about what happened last night with Edward. I walked toward them curious to know what they were discussing about. At the same time I saw Eric who was standing not so far from them, was also tried to listening to their conversation.

"Do you have any actual evidence?" Asked Four to Tris right when I joined them.

"Because I saw him right afterwards and he was…"

"We're not interested in your theories. Okay?" Four glanced at Eric and then cut Tris out before she could finish.

"I saw him too!" I added. "He was smirking right after!"

"See! Roxy saw him too! Four, you just lost your top initiator and do anything about it!?" Tris raised her voice.


"He's not my top initiate anymore!" Eric showed from behind us. "In fact he can't continue training, so he's out!" Eric told Tris coldly. I looked at Eric and then moved to Tris and Four. Tris did the same thing. "Everybody needs to watch their backs!" Added Eric. "Okay!?" And then he left the three of us.

Tris and Four were facing each other. "Why is this ok?" She waited for Eric to walked somewhat away before she asked. "I don't get it. Are we supposed to be cruel, or just stupid? Or is this supposed to be part of the new rules?" She yelled at him.

"Yes," Four answered her quickly.

Tris glanced at me and turned her face around before she talked again. "Why are there new rules?"

"That's why I'm trying to find out!" answered Four before he left us both.

"I should go talk to Eric." I then jogged leaving her to found Eric. Eric was walking over an empty dark path and faster my pace to catch up with him. "Eric!" I called him and he stopped. He pulled me toward him so we were hiding behind the shade.

"Why?" I asked.

"What?"

"Why don't you punished Peter for stabbing Edward? You kicked Jack out of Dauntless but doing nothing to Peter."

"I don't care about Edward." There wasn't any hesitation in his voice when he said it. "Rules are rules! Edward can't continue training so he's out. If you think what you saw is true then Peter secured his position."

"Secured his position by stabbing someone else's eye is ok in this new rules!?" I snapped. "What's with this new rules!?"

"You should keep your mouth shut and don't speak about it ever again!" He snapped back. "I don't want you to get any trouble."

"Trouble? What trouble? Eric…"

"You should go back to you dorm. Now!"

He then left me standing in the path alone. I sighed and decided to walk back to the Pit. There I found Tris and Will were talking to each other. Will saw me, and he waved at me to joined them. Turned out they were discussing about Edward like I already figured.

"We could visit him," suggest Will. "But what would we say? 'I didn't know you that well, but I'm sorry you got stabbed in the eye?" said Will.

Suddenly Tris burst into laughter. Will and I were staring at each other before stared at Tris and then we started to laugh too. It actually felt pretty good for me to laugh after a hard day. "Sorry," Said Tris. "It's just so ridiculous."

"The most ridiculous part is, in any other faction it would be brave of us to tell someone what happened. But here…in Dauntless…bravery won't do us any good," continued Tris. "Dauntless have rules against attacking someone like that, but with people like Eric in charge, I suspect those rules go unenforced."

I didn't dare to see Tris's face after what she said about Eric. I knew Eric is cruel to everybody but me, and sometimes he did whatever he wants to do. Eric clearly told me that he wasn't even care about it and didn't seem to mind with what Peter did. Then I remembered about Jeanine Matthews call when I was staying at Eric's apartment. Did she have something to do with all of this?

We were in silent for a moment until Will asked a question. "Have you ever read the faction manifestos?"

I shook my head and Tris frowned, "You have?" Will just shrugged as an answered. "Oh. Of course you have. Never mind," added Tris.

"One of the lines I remember from the Dauntless manifesto is, 'We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.'" Will sighed.

"Dauntless and other factions were formed with good intentions but now it had strayed far from them." I said.

"Yes that's what I think about it too. I saw a faction worth saving. Maybe we can become brave and honorable again." Said Tris.

"I joined Dauntless because I want to make a change. Maybe we all can make a change together," I added.

"Look at you both being such an idealist." Said Will and I laughed a little. "Come on let's go to the dining hall. Let's have some cake!" and then we walked toward the Pit.

Christina, Al, and Jen joined us a moment later and all of us were enjoying our cakes, even though Jen was just playing with her food. I didn't know how long could I keep this secret from her. Suddenly someone tapped my shoulder. I turned around to see there were the guards from yesterday.

"You are awaited in the main gate now."

I got up from my seat and Tris did the same, "can I know what's wrong Roxy? What they want from you?" I forgot to tell my friends about this job offered from Max yesterday. I even forgot to give my answer to Max, he would probably think that I didn't accept it but why they want me to went back to the field.

"I'll tell you guys when I come back. Sorry I need to go now." I followed the guards to the main gate and Eric was already in there. He wasn't in a good mood, not after I confronted him about Peter earlier. He helped me wearing my vest but still didn't say anything.

"Eric…"

"Don't start!" He shut me up before I brought the conversation back. "We found him, your parents killer."

"You did? That fast?"

"I'm not messing around!" he finished clasping my vest. "Come!" we all jumped inside the jeep that took us to the outer skirt of the city center.

We went to an abandon building and there were a couple guards standing in front of the building steady with guns on their hands. We went to the third floor moved our way to the very end of the room in the hallway. The door was already opened and I entered the room after Eric.

I saw a man around late thirty knelt on his knee in the middle of the room. His head was facing down the floor and I couldn't see him face clearly but I knew that was he, the man who killed my parents. I could never forget his green painted large snake tattoo that covered his arms. My heartbeat raced up and my breathing was started to become heavy. Eric took me closer and let me stood up behind him in front of the fugitive. Four other guards were in their position circled around us, but then Eric told them to stay outside the room.

"You know why you're here?" Eric spoke to him.

The man started to defend himself. "Not me! Not me! I didn't orchestrate the riot. Please spare me! Please!" He begged and he was shaking, afraid for his life.

Eric circled him and moved to his back. "That isn't the reason you're here." Told him in a very cold voice and then kicked his back and made the man fell to the floor with his face first. The man tried to get up back on his knee when Eric grabbed his hair and made him faced me. "Look at her! Look and say what you did to her!" The man looked at me and he obviously didn't remember me and I clenched my teeth. "Remember when you kill her family!" The man still didn't recall. "Let me remind you!" Eric punched his face and his nose suddenly bleeding. "You killed her parents a decade ago just for a few more rations." The man's eyes widened.

"N-no! No please! It was an accident!" He shouted and crawled closer to me. "Please! Please don't kill me! Please spare my life. I didn't mean to kill them. Please I'm sorry!" He tried to reach for my hands but Eric suddenly kicked him down.

"Don't you fucking dare touch her!"

I felt pity for him to be beaten up by Eric but the anger inside me was bigger than everything now. I could not move or say anything when I saw him got kick and punched on his face. The man couldn't get up anymore and Eric walked back to me and he stood a foot away from me and he took out a pistol from the side of his belt and he handed it to me. I looked at him in shock and I hesitant rather should I took it or no, but then the picture of my parents flashed inside my mind and I quickly took the gun from him.

I pointed the gun to the man who still knelt on the floor cried for his life. "Please... I'm really sorry for what I've done. I didn't mean to. I'm sorry... Please don't kill me..." He begged me.

"Why?" I asked him shakily and he slowly looked up. "Why you kill them? They told you take whatever you want yet you still kill them!" I shouted.

"I... I w-was nervous and y-your father told me to hand him the gun b-but someone showed up and I panicked... And... And I accidentally..." He stuttered. "The gun... It explodes and killed your father. Your mother screamed and I shot her. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't mean it!"

He started to cry and I suddenly felt bad for him. Thinking about my parents, they must be didn't want to me to revenged their death like this. My throat was getting sore for holding my tears and I didn't want to see the man again. I turned around to see Eric who stood behind me.

"I can't..." I gave him back his gun. "Just lock him up." I told him and he looked at me not believe that I could forgive the man.

"Ok. Your call." He took back his gun and wiped my tears then I didn't realize was running on my cheek with his right thumb. Eric walked to the door to call the guards to take the man to the prison when suddenly the man grabbed me and crossed a knife on my throat.

"I can't go to jail! No! You have to release me!" He screamed and dragged me with him. The guards entered the room with their guns pointed to us. They made a line around Eric who also held his gun. One of the guards took a step forward and it made the factionless man anxious and he pulled me back and the knife sliced my skin a little made me gasp.

"Stop!" Eric shouted to the guards to stay on their position. His eyes were full with anger toward the man who held me. He tried to aim the man but he blocked his way with my body. "Let her go!" He shouted.

"I can't go to jail! You need to let me go! I don't want to be locked up!" He yelled at Eric and the knife on my skin was slicing another millimeter deeper. The blood was slowly dripping run down my neck.

"Let her go!" Eric took a step forward and he put his rifle down to the floor. "Just let her go and I will let you leave." Said Eric and the man loosen his grip a little. "Roxy..." Talked Eric when he noticed the knife was no longer too close to my skin. "Remember your training..."

"What are you talking about!?" The man shouted for not understanding what Eric meant. He pulled me back but the rusty rugs made him stumbled and it distracted him. I immediately remember the day when Eric pinned me at the combat training and then punched his stomach with my elbow. He fell back holding his stomach in pain. Eric pulled me into his arms. The man quickly knelt on his knee when he knew he was now really into a very serious trouble. "Please, spare me. I didn't mean to harm her…"

"You're facing a wrong person!" Eric then landed a bullet onto the man's head. The guards made their move and took care of the man. My heart was racing.

"You alright?" He asked as he checked up my neck. "We should take care of that!" He ripped his shirt a little and then pushed to my cut to stop the bleeding. "Take care of him. For good!" He shouted in anger to his inferiors. "Come on!" Eric put his hand on my back and escorted me out. Right when I just took a few steps outside a guard brought a little girl outside from the room and I just stood there, my eyes were following the girl until she was taken to the first floor.

"He has a daughter?" I asked Eric but he didn't say anything rather than took me back to the jeep. My body started to shake again realizing that I just took a life of someone else's father.

I sat alone in my secret rooftop, thinking about the girl who was now an orphan. An orphan likes me because somebody else took her parent's life. My heart felt ache for thinking about it and I couldn't wipe away the girl's face from my mind. That little girl didn't even cry or calling her father.

"Hey..." I turned around and I saw Eric standing in front of the door. "I know I'll find you here." He came closer and then sat next to me. "Something's bothering you?"

"It's about the little girl..."

"The factionless's daughter?"

"She saw everything! I wanted to help people like me but I just took her father's life. I'm no good than her father!"

"You didn't kill the man. I made the call."

"But I made him got killed. Why didn't you tell me he has a child?"

"Then your judgment will be blurred." He said is straightly. "You'll become softer like you are right now."

"The little girl saw everything. She saw her father got kill in front of her. The same happened to me!

"It's not your fault he got killed. He was the one who made him in trouble! The man paid for what he's done!"

"He had a family that need him!" I yelled back.

"He's a factionleas, he's useless!"

"He was still a man! How about that girl!?"

"Then she will suffers the same thing you had because of her father!" I stunned after he said that. I could not believe what I just hear. "He deserves to die after what he did to you! I could've done the same thing to that girl!" He shouted.

"H-how can you say that? How can you don't have a heart!?" I yelled back and my body started to trembling. We were both staring at each other in silent. "I c-can't talk to you right now…" I walked away but Eric grabbed my arm. "Let me go, Eric!" I released my hand and ran to door.

"He almost killed you for fuck sakes Roxy!" He screamed so hard like I never heard him scream like that before. I stopped and looked back at him, "I can't let that happened." He said and I shook my head, opened the door and ran downstairs. I went back to my dorm and I saw Edward's bed was already clean up and his drawers were empty. Across the room I saw Myra's bed was also look the same way.

"She quit?" I asked.

"She said she didn't want to be here without him. She was going to get cut anyway," answered Christina as she shrugged.

"Anyone find out who the two Dauntless-born that got cut were?" asked Will.

"Two of the Dauntless-born. I don't remember their names. If I'm not wrong one of them was the girl who stood beside Roxy at the shooting range," replied Christina. The girl who almost got me killed get cut out too, Eric was being overly protective over me.

"At least I don't get cut!" said Al and we all stared at him. "What? I was going to get cut if Edward didn't quite. You know it's true."

"And yet still no words from my brother!" We all turned around to see Jen was talking from her bed.